A PANEL tasked with scrutinising the quality of new buildings has grown to 50 members, with a number of leading design experts signing up.

Architects Richard Cottrell, Eleanor Fawcett and Richard Lavington are the latest to offer their knowledge and experience to the project, in Harrow.

The Harrow Design Review Panel was launched to ensure that new buildings in the borough will benefit the whole community.

Cllr Keith Ferry, Harrow Council portfolio holder for business, planning and regeneration, said: “Great things are about to happen in Harrow. Our new Design Review Panel will ensure expert advice and high quality building design.

“With a number of exciting projects in the pipeline, the panel will help both build a better Harrow and bring huge benefits for our residents, businesses and the local economy.”

Neil Deely, one of the three chairs of the panel, said he was “excited” to be involved while Harrow’s head of regeneration and design, Tobias Goevert, described this time as “an important moment” for the area.

“There is a general consensus that not enough good projects have been built in the last decades, falling short of standards for when Metroland was conceived,” Mr Goevert added.

“However, there are good news stories in the planning pipeline. Our policy, planning, economic and regen teams have been busy working towards this for many years.

“We have put in place a broad and ambitious regeneration strategy, delivered new public realm, meanwhile uses, events and training engaged positively with developers and procured talented teams for our sites to set the benchmark.”

At the Royal College of Art, in the first of the panel’s monthly meetings, London-based designers Fiona Scott, Mark Tuff and Judith Loesing presented their visions for the programme.

They followed a discussion, chaired by the Architecture Foundation’s Director Ellis Woodman, on the borough’s priorities.

Participants at the event ranged from developers and partners, to councillors and Harrow people engaged in the borough’s innovative Residents’ Regeneration Panel.